The Potty - Columbus,OH

We have a padded potty ring and a training potty. We have the Fisher Price seat that looks like a frog, really cheap and its high in the front to keep him from peeing all over the floor. It's working really well for us because we don't have a restroom on the main floor and I also have an infant so he can sit on it in the living room while playing so we don't have to drag both kids upstairs so he can potty. He likes the padded ring also but I have yet to find one with a good splash guard so he usually ends up peeing on the wall and floor. We are starting to work on standing up like daddy but I think he gets nervous and only tries for a second.

Do what works best for you though, a lot of people use the little potty and then transition to the big potty when the child is ready.

We used the Weeman, (http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Potty-Training-Urina...) which worked very well to teach him how to pee standing. As soon as he was tall enough to pee straight into the toilet, he just started doing it. Also, he makes the biggest mess when he sits to pee, so I definitely prefer this route. For sitting, we used this seat, which also gave him the independence to do it on his own that he wanted. http://www.shopping.com/xPO-Mommies_Helper_Padded_Potty_S...

Lots of people don't even bother with a little potty, they just use the seat on the big potty. You can also get little potties that you take the top off and it fits on the big potty once they are used to using it.
We used 2 potties. Ikea has a SUPER cheap one ($3.99 I think) in many colors. We also have this one in white from Babies R Us: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000056J79/ref=pd_lpo_k2...

I know quite a few people who really like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LFNXPC/ref=pd_lpo_k2...

Hi J.~
With my son, we never bought a potty seat. He didn't like the idea of it, so we just had him start immediately on the regular seat. We bought a padded seat that attaches to the toilet, with a little guard for the little boys. He used that to get the basic concept--the feeling to go, where to go, etc. But, he really didn't want to sit. He preferred to stand up like daddy does. So, very soon after introducing the potty, we had to buy a stool for him to stand on, as well as some of those "target" things for boys to aim at in the potty!
My daughter on the other hand--she used a potty seat for quite a while. I honestly just bought an inexpensive seat from Meijer--no music, no sound, just a basic seat for her to get comfortable with the potty on!
Good luck with this oh-so-fun stage!!
J.

I have daughters, not sons, but I think there are similarities. Our daughter decided when to go to the big toilet from the small potty. Also, we purchased a foldable potty seat to use while out. I think it is called the Cushie-Tushie. This works great for us! We could continue potty training while out and about, plus the seat worked great at friend's houses and when we traveled. My daughter fell into a toilet once when we didn't have the potty seat and she was afraid to use a toilet afterwards.

None of kids used a little plastic potty. We bought a plastic padded potty ring that fits over the regular toilet that makes the hole/seat smaller and their size. They learn from the start to take it on/off when they use the potty. After a few months, they stop using it and just sit on regular toilet.

Our son was standing to pee (like he saw the other boys at preschool doing) after a week or so of potty training. He would stand on the step stool so he could reach.

I have many friends who say their kids have issues using a toilet when out shopping or visiting friends... because all they use at home is one of those small plastic ones. My kids have never had any issues like that.

Any little potty with a splash guard is fine. You don't have to buy an expensive one. I have the little potty that sings and wish I didn't have this one. It distracts my little guy instead of trying to go on the potty. Once he goes on the potty consistently and successfully, then have him sit on the big potty. You may have to hold his "willy" down into the potty. Then when he's comfortable sitting on the big potty, then teach him to pee standing up by using a little step stool. You can put cheerios in the potty so he can have fun trying to aim at them. But go slow with each step and make it as fun as possible...try not to pressure him into anything he doesn't want to do. Good luck!!

With our kids, we never bought a little potty. We trained them to use the toilet from the beginning. We bought the little padded potty seat ring and a sturdy step stool (so their feet could touch something while they sat). This worked very well for us. It eliminated yet another transition from little potty to normal potty. =0) Good luck!

i think the individual potty kinda depends on your child. My lil boy had a winnie the pooh potty that made a flushing sound when he used it. so it might just be a favorite charactor that suits your lil one. don't switch to the regular potty til your boy wants to really, but them add on seats, not really comfy, even the padded ones. And its hard for lil boys ( least my lil boys) to um go pee on them, just can't get thier lil guys tucked down in there. well good luck..and remember ..patience...it could be the easiest training in the world, or you could have alot of accidents and think he will never get it...he will...:)

We have the musical one by Fisher Price (not sure of name) but honestly, I would not recommend anyone with noise. I was sold on the idea but it used to go off by itself and would scare me. I just turn the noise off now.

My daughter is 2.5 and potty trained and 90% of the time, she goes on the large potty without a potty seat on it. Her smaller potty doubles as a stool and that is very nice so she can have her feet on it when on the larger potty. I recommend one with a removable bowl so you can empty the contents and wash easily. I think when I do it with my son, I will just train him to use the large potty and have him stand on the smaller potty/stool if he isn't tall enough.

Good luck!